Chapter Text

Chapter One

Hythlodaeus hummed cheerfully whilst organizing the display cases nearest the entrance of the shop he ran with his husband, Hades. A fine establishment catering to modern man, offering occult tomes, divination services, and even a little café to one side. Their perfect disguise to fit in amongst mortals…most of the time. The lavender-haired man chuckled to himself, his glowing gaze flitting to the windows looking out onto Amaurot’s streets. There was no denying that mankind had changed greatly in the thousands of years since Zodiark had brought peace to all of Etheirys. Their focus had shifted, their research becoming more careful, with much more time given to personal matters—just as He bid them. A mystery they had yet to solve, but a welcome one nonetheless.

Hythlodaeus straightened a stack of books, then approached the doors to The Scrying Glass to flip the sign to ‘open.’ He peered up at the sky, then glanced toward the back of the store. “My… Hades, I do believe it is going to snow. Did you bring your coat?”

Hades grunted irritably; his arms crossed. “All the more reason we should not open today.”

“Come now, we are offering a unique service!” Hythlodaeus reprimanded good-naturedly. “Besides, we both know you don’t do well cooped up at home, and you are insufferable when you are bored.”

“Insufferable?” Hades scoffed.

Hythlodaeus chuckled, shooting Hades a mischievous smile. “Whatever the case, I have a good feeling about today. Let’s not close early.”

Hades narrowed his eyes, studying his partner for a long moment. Whenever he ‘had a good feeling’ about something, it only ever meant trouble—and Hythlodaeus was never wrong. Sighing, Hades retreated into the kitchen with a cup of coffee to help the staff finish with their preparations for the day. Once that was settled, he retreated to the shadows to watch Hythlodaeus and the day’s customers until he was inevitably called upon for assistance. 

Hades, why don’t you prepare some of your special blend of tea leaves instead of grumping in the shadows? Hythlodaeus called telepathically to his partner whilst examining himself in a mirror, adjusting his attire.

…why? Hades asked warily.

Hythlodaeus laughed lightly, running his fingers along the plunging neckline of his blouse, revealing the layered necklaces he wore. A small smirk spread across his lips as he sensed his husband watching him from the shadows. He tugged his shirt open a little further before answering, Just do it. For me?

Hades stepped out of the shadows in front of Hythlodaeus, hooking a finger under his necklaces and giving them a gentle tug. “Why don’t you tell me more about this ‘good feeling’ you have?”

Hythlodaeus smiled, rising on his toes to give Hades a soft kiss. “Nothing to worry about, darling. Quite the opposite. The stars have spoken.”

Hades sighed softly, cupping Hythlodaeus’s cheek in one hand. He searched his partner’s face a moment before relenting. “Very well. I believe I’ve some ingredients left.”

“I’ll call for you when it’s time for my break.” Hythlodaeus gave Hades another kiss, then shooed him away.

Hours passed in relative quiet, with customers new and old coming and going. Some for the food and drink, others for tomes, and even a few for readings of their fates. Eventually, Hades took Hythlodaeus’s position on the floor to give him a break. Crossing his arms, he paced through the shelves, keeping a quiet eye on the scant few customers that remained in the evening.

A glint of vibrant blue in his peripheral vision drew his attention to the windows overlooking the street, and his heart stopped. That beautiful color drifted to a stop outside The Scrying Glass’s doors, hesitating, before kicking the snow off their shoes and opening it. Strands of deep red hair peeked out from beneath the hood of the individual’s coat, their pale skin flushed from the cold.

“Welcome!” Hythlodaeus’s voice from behind him made Hades jolt, realizing he had been staring at the newcomer, and their soul. The shorter man linked arms with him, seizing his retreat. “My, my, what a pretty soul. I don’t believe we have met you before.”

“…me?” The quiet question was accompanied by a subtle motion at themself.

Hythlodaeus’s eyes crinkled in a smile as Hades scoffed and looked away. “Indeed. My name is Hythlodaeus, and this is my husband, Hades. We run The Scrying Glass. What can we do for you? Or, are you merely escaping the cold?”

The stranger looked between the pair, uncertain what to make of the contrast in their behaviors. Hythlodaeus seemed pleasant enough, but his husband? The man seemed to be boiling where he stood, given how flushed he was.

Sensing their unease, Hythlodaeus turned a charming smile up to Hades. “Why don’t you go make them some of your special tea, dear? They seem quite frozen.”

Hades bit back a retort, his golden stare shifting to their odd ‘customer’ again. This time, he noticed the subtleties of their body language, and the way ice adhered to their attire. Something was wrong. 

“…very well.” Hades turned away. Just how much did the stars tell you?

Oh, enough. Hythlodaeus shot a smile at his back. Once Hades had disappeared into the café, Hythlodaeus motioned with one arm toward a nearby set of chairs. “Why don’t we sit? You can warm up whilst you tell me what we can do for you.”

The redhead hesitated, glancing around the store, before reaching up to pull down their hood, revealing their wild, wavy hair and icy blue eyes—and a rather pretty face. Hythlodaeus studied their features, burning them into his memory, and found himself studying their full lips.

“I heard you perform divination here,” they stated quietly, wringing their fingers as they sat across from Hythlodaeus. 

With a soul such as that… Hm. Their skittishness does not match the power I see. Hythlodaeus studied their soul a moment longer, before focusing on their face with a pleasant smile. “What should I call you?”

“Huh? O-oh…” They flushed, glancing away in embarrassment. “Helios. You may call me Helios.”

“Well then, Helios, what can I do for you?” Hythlodaeus laced his fingers in his lap, watching the fidgety individual finger the buttons of their coat. “Are you looking for books on a particular subject, perhaps? Maybe over a bit of dinner? Or…”

“I-I heard that you do various forms of divination here,” Helios quickly explained. “I was hoping for a tarot reading, if it isn’t too much trouble…”

Hythlodaeus chuckled lightly, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He shifted his head, hearing Hades’s approaching footsteps. “Dear, why don’t you see to this one?”

“Me?” Hades scoffed incredulously. His piercing stare flicked to the fidgeting redhead, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he offered them the mug of tea he had brought. When they reached for it, he spotted scars both old and new covering their fingers and arms. …where in the seven hells did they sustain such injuries? They cannot have inflicted those upon themself.

Hythlodaeus glanced at Helios’s damaged skin, then toward his partner. I concur. They look more akin to defensive wounds, do they not? Or as if they have been in battle…but where would such a thing happen in this era? The poor little thing.

“Thank you,” Helios murmured, taking the mug in both hands and taking a sip, their downcast expression nearly going unnoticed.

Hades stared in disbelief for a moment, taken aback by the fact they had addressed him at all, let alone in thanks. The unusual occurrence drove him to look at their soul again, then to his scheming husband.

“Hades, dear, this is Helios,” Hythlodaeus explained, the hint of insistence in his voice filling Hades with a sense of dread. “Be a darling and do a reading for them, won’t you? My feet are tired.”

Hades remained silent, watching Helios as they timidly sipped their tea, their eyes focused anywhere but the two men. Finally, he sighed. “Oh, very well. Helios, follow me. You may bring your tea.”

Hythlodaeus shot his partner a knowing smile as he shifted to cross his legs in his chair, watching as Helios fidgety with their mug before gracefully rising to their feet and following the grumpy man.

Hades, be nice.

I will promise no such thing. If their cards bode do not bode well, I will not lie to them.

Hythlodaeus shook his head and nestled back in his seat, listening to their steps fade away. You know full well that isn’t what I mean.

Helios peered up at Hades’s back as they followed him, clutching their mug of tea to their chest, their heart pounding with nerves. They barely registered the display cases and shelves of books they passed while following the tall man, their focus instead on studying the way he moved, and the long locks of white hair splayed around his neck and shoulders, then the way his turtleneck hugged his clearly muscular form.

“What is it you wish for me to divine?” Hades asked curtly, pulling a pair of double doors open. He stepped aside for a moment, allowing Helios to enter the dim room. He softly closed the door behind them, before taking another look at their brilliant soul.

“I’m not sure how to word this…” Helios murmured, carefully taking a seat at the table. “Diviners such as yourself…do you happen to follow some manner of ethical code?”

Hades arched a brow, trailing his painted fingernails over the surface of the table. “Like some manner of…confidentiality?”

“Yes.” Helios peered up at him.

“It is considered poor taste to divulge anything about a client, yes. So long as you don’t find yourself embroiled in criminal activity, I have no reason to tell anyone anything.” Hades took a seat across from them, his piercing gaze making them resume their fidgeting.

“I…am a new arrival in Amaurot, and I’ve been looking for work. Perhaps I’m overly cautious but…I would like to know if I’m in danger,” Helios muttered, glancing away, their eyes downcast. Hades’s eyes narrowed, his vision shifting to study them further—this time, searching beyond the glow of their soul. “I have a job offer, but I find myself inexplicably uneasy. Not to mention… Ah, I apologize. You hardly need so much information, do you? I imagine you know all this already…”

“I make it a point to let others keep their thoughts, and their pasts, private.” Hades traced the marks on their soul, his blood running cold. He had only seen such seals in ancient texts that far predated Amaurot’s founding. Hythlodaeus… Have you noticed anything odd about this ‘customer?’

Oh, so many things. We can discuss it later, Hythlodaeus answered. Why—are you concerned?

…see if they will permit you to walk them home when I am finished here. Hades rested his hands on the table, focusing his attentions fully on Helios. “We can handle this one of two ways—I can give you a more generalized reading, or you can give me more information so that I can give you a more tailored reading. Which will it be?”

“Mmm…” Helios turned their mug of tea a few times before willing themselves to meet Hades’s sharp gaze. “I… A general reading will be fine.”

“Very well.” Hades conjured a deck of tarot cards, drawing upon his own aether as he shuffled. His eyes glinted in the dim light as he studied his unusual customer, once again examining the marks on their soul. After a moment, he drew a sliver of their aether into his hand and infused their essence into his cards. One-by-one, he began placing cards on the table, speaking as he went. “You recently escaped your old life, and you are terrified the people from your past will find you. The people who rescued you could have done much more, yet you insisted on being left to your own devices in this new land.”

Helios stared at him. “You’re getting all that just from cards?”

“I have talents beyond interpreting divination tools.” Hades smiled mysteriously. He placed a fourth card on the table. “You are chained to your past in a way that is beyond your control, but the people who rescued you dealt a crippling blow to those responsible. Hmmm…” Hades ran his fingers over the sixth card, focusing his energies to explore further, his lips tugging into a deep frown. “We will come back to this one after the rest. Next… Ah. You see yourself as unable to truly escape your past—I suppose that would be consistent with why you are here, hm? Perhaps that was a touch unnecessary. 

“Others see you as…shall we say, a dark horse. They sense you have great power at your fingertips, but your demeanor makes you appear fragile. Some people believe this is intentional on your part, but it isn’t. You were born into this situation, it’s the only life you’ve ever known. Observing outsiders is what drove you to seek a better life.”

Hades placed the last two cards on the table but said nothing, instead meeting Helios’s stare.

“What else?” Helios mustered the courage to ask, motioning toward the cards. “You haven’t read three of them.”

“You wished to know if you are in danger,” Hades murmured, his gaze remaining fastened on Helios’s face. “If you accept your job opportunity you will likely be murdered within the month. It would be my recommendation you decline and find someone else to work for.”

“Murdered…?” Helios stared at him, mouth agape. “The job seemed so safe…”

“Was it criminal?” Hades narrowed his eyes.

“No, no! I was looking for openings for bartenders…” Helios shook their head and gnawed their lower lip. “What else?”

“I need to ask you a personal question.” Hades returned the cards to his deck and slowly shuffled, never breaking eye contact. “The place you escaped—was it under Amaurotine jurisdiction?”

“No.”

“I see. You are concerned they will escape justice because you do not hail from Amaurot, and neither do they.” Hades shook his head slowly. “For better or for worse, Amaurot does not respect jurisdictional boundaries—but if you wish to have peace of mind, I suggest you acquire citizenship.”

“…I tried that…but…” Helios chewed their lower lip, unable to meet Hades’s gaze. “They…seem to think ‘someone like me’ doesn’t qualify. They told me to find a job or a master.”

Hmph. So they believe them to be one of the souls shattered by Zodiark and Hydaelyn’s war. Fools. Hades sighed. “Yet, the job you found…”

“You said likely to be murdered, rather than will. Why?” Helios inquired suddenly.

Oh? They were paying attention to nuance? Hades motioned loosely with one hand. “Because nothing is guaranteed and the future is not writ in stone. You could make it out alive, but all indications are that you will not.” Hades paused drawing another card. He frowned faintly. “Though you are at great risk if you remain unemployed. I get the impression you are staying in a ‘bad’ part of town?”

“Yes.” Helios nodded once. They knocked back the rest of their tea, then rummaged around in their coat pockets. “How much do I owe—?”

Hades held up a hand. “Nothing. You came looking for answers because you felt you were in genuine danger—and you are. I would not feel comfortable taking your coin.”

“Thank you.”

Hades’s brow furrowed. “Do not thank me. I merely—”

“I’m thanking you for telling the truth. I don’t hear much of it,” Helios insisted, finally meeting Hades’s gaze again. The truth he saw there silenced his arguments.

“…I see.” Hades lowered his head. “Then, you are welcome.” Hades watched them get to their feet, a question nagging his mind until, finally, he decided to ask it. “Where did you receive an offer for work?”

“Mmm? Elysium.”

Hades kept his expression passive—or so he thought. Internally, he seethed. Little wonder they were in danger. He conjured a pen and a piece of paper, beginning to write out a number on it. “This is the name and number for the owner of Club Fantasia. Hythlodaeus and I are friends with them, and they owe us favors. Tell them I sent you.”

“Ah, are you sure you want to waste a favor on…?” Helios trailed off as Hades took one of their hands in his and pressed the paper into it, his gaze unspeakably fierce.

“It would be remiss of me to let you leave here thinking you must risk your life at Elysium.” Hades stalked past them, opening the doors. Rather than wait, he stalked off to elsewhere in the store, leaving a confused Helios to find their way back to the front.

“You shouldn’t walk back on your own,” Hythlodaeus remarked from where he lounged in a chair. He smiled softly at the troubled individual. “There is a curfew for people like you. You’ll get into trouble if you’re seen out at this hour.”

“But…” Helios frowned, glancing to the clock. They sighed. “When did it get to be so late…?”

“If you are with me, the authorities will not bother you.” Hythlodaeus winked before getting to his feet. “If anyone asks, you are new to the city and got lost. You wandered into The Scrying Glass while looking for directions, and I took it upon myself to see you safely home. Understood?”

“Are you sure you—?” Helios started, but Hythlodaeus raised a finger to his own lips, smiling as he shushed them.

“I couldn’t possibly leave you to your own devices.” Hythlodaeus pulled his coat off the nearby rack and shrugged it on. “Come, I’ll make certain you get home safe and sound.”